Cutting implements and tools have been in use for hundreds of years for cutting hair, cloth, plants, paper, etc. Early on it was realized that cutting tools such as a scissors or shears where more efficient if the user only had to employ one hand to manipulate the tool. This left the other hand free to hold or guide the material during the cutting process. Thus, scissors were formed that had blades pivotally attached with handles having finger and thumb loops. The fingers and thumb of the hand were thus used to manipulate the blades into the open or cutting positions.
While the finger loop scissors are usable for many cutting projects, in certain situations they are unsuitable. For example, when accurate cutting is necessary, such as during emergency surgery, finger loop scissors can be unsuitable because they can be difficult to control due to the fact that the scissor is only being held by two fingers of one hand. When the user's fingers are covered with rubber gloves or slippery body fluids the user's fingers can cause the scissor to slip. Further, finger loop scissors can be difficult to remove from a doctor's fingers when another surgery tool is needed. Another instance in which finger loop scissors can be unsuitable is when the scissor is used to cut bulky material such as canvas, denim, etc. The grip of two scissor holding fingers is relatively weak and it is often impossible to manipulate the scissors to cut an even line. Further, the pressure on the fingers necessary for releasing the blades from the cutting position can be painful and cause blistering of the skin.
Furthermore, finger loop scissors are sometimes inappropriate because the user is not sufficiently dexterous to be able to perform the scissoring movement of the two fingers required to open and close the scissor blades. Examples, of such users can include persons with various muscular diseases, small children, arthritic person, and handicapped persons.
Often finger loop scissors are designed in such a manner that one loop fits the thumb and the other loop fits the fingers of the right hand, thus making the scissors uncomfortable for use by the left hand.
It may be appreciated that it would be desirable to have and there remains a need for a scissor which does not require dexterity of the fingers and thumb for operation but instead can be easily controlled by being held in the palm and thumb. There is further a need for a scissor that can be operated by using either the thumb or by applying a hand squeezing or gripping motion on handles to produce the cutting motion. Further there is a need for a scissor which can be held and operated with the right or left hand. Furthermore, there is a need for a scissor which is biased to return to the open position so that the operator is only required to use downward pressure to place the blades in the cutting position as the biasing means returns the blades to the open position; requiring less pressure strain on the muscles and skin of the scissoring fingers.
A scissors with these traits would be especially helpful when bulky material is cut, or when scissors are used often, such as in fabric stores or textile factories, or when a precisely controlled cut is required such as in surgery.